U.S. Army leaders are reportedly investigating a National Guard special forces unit over leaked images showing soldiers wearing Nazi-style skulls on their helmets.
The Birmingham, Alabama-based 20th Special Forces Group, which is the subject of an ongoing military investigation, currently has three men in uniform, one of whom wears a Nazi skull on his helmet. He posted a controversial image on Instagram. army time signal report. The post was accompanied by a positive caption celebrating the weekend.
The Army launched an investigation after a National Guard unit posted a photo online that included symbols worn by the Nazi SS. https://t.co/GPe8ucs9LZ
— ArmyTimes (@ArmyTimes) March 26, 2024
“How you felt that weekend. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Don’t stop training. Don’t get complacent,” the since-deleted post read.
The weekend-themed post has since been deleted, as many netizens took to the comments section to choose words for each of the skull-emblazoned helmets in the photo.
The skull, known as “Totenkopf,” means “death’s head,” according to a profile published by the association. Anti-Defamation League (ADL). According to the ADL, the symbol was adopted as the official emblem of a branch of SS soldiers who defended Nazi concentration camps on orders. (Related: Looks like Amazon is selling a swastika fidget spinner… 5 stars)
Maj. Russell Gordon, commander of the U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces, backed the disgruntled in the comments section and told the outlet that his branch was taking action.
The Times reported that “the use of symbols and patches depicting images of historical hate is unacceptable and a clear violation of our values.” (Related: Army asks retirees to return to work amid manpower crisis)
“We are aware of the situation and are currently investigating the matter,” the major said.
The Alabama National Guard and the Army’s 1st Special Forces Command are involved in conducting the investigation, National Guard spokesman Mac Muzzio told the Times.
The post was deleted by the force, but screenshots still exist on the internet.
Wow! For those who can’t see the helmet patch, it features the SS symbol Totenkopf. pic.twitter.com/m1iZSKkCzU
— Lydia 🌹🏴 (@lydlife) March 26, 2024
Later, on Wednesday afternoon, the force issued an apology post on Instagram confirming the development of the investigation.
The soldier wearing the controversial patched helmet in the photo has not been publicly identified.
